Following Through
by The Shroud
Summary: Long-shot series focused on Oliver and his journey in a single work. 40 Chapters in progress. All long-shots center around the theme of a character, organization, or something else actually following through on something that was previously going to happen in someway.
1. Magician

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own DC Comics. I do not own The CW. I do not own anything related to DC Comics in general, or Arrow specifically. Except maybe a few DVDs of old DC movies that I haven't given away yet.

**Following Through**

**Chapter One**

**Murdered Magician**

By The Shroud

**A/N:**

My first series of independent long shots, and the first long shot in that series. Please review on whatever you can, suggestions, ideas, etc. This series explores the theme of if a character or organization or so actually _followed through_ on an earlier intention. Going along that theme, this chapter imagines if Oliver killed Malcolm in the S4 duel, and the results of that. Below is the story.

* * *

_February 2016_

_Star City_

As Malcolm fell to his knees, with the hand possessing the Demon's Head ring held out to the left holding a sword that was pointed down towards and resting on the roof, the other hand was stretched out to the other side, and Malcolm's head leaned back, still facing him but thinking he would relent for Thea, Oliver immediately swung and thrust the sword down from his right directly down to the left at an angle. It fell swiftly, piercing through several arteries and through the spine.

Oliver started the corresponding League prayer of respect for the fallen enemy in Arabic, not out of respect so much for Malcolm, but for Thea. "_Forgive and have mercy upon him, excuse him and pardon him, make honorable his reception, protect him from the punishment of the grave, and the torment of the fire_."

Malcolm barely spoke through the blood filling his throat, though deathly calm with a bit of wit, "That was… unexpected," before his head fell down and the light left his eyes **[1]**. He closed Malcolm's eyes, drew the sword out, and picked off the Demon's Head ring.

He turned to Nyssa, and walked forward. Without a word, merely a gesture from her, a nearby assassin gave her the Lotus. He grasped it, as she in turn grasped the ring he was holding out to her. He acknowledged, "With this, you are no longer the daughter of the previous Ra's al Ghul. You are now, yourself, Ra's al Ghul."

He released the Ring, at the same time as she released the Lotus, and thanked him. The assassins around them kneeled in unison, following with the unanimous cry of, "Ra's!"

* * *

_April 2016_

_Slabside Penitentiary_ **[2]**

They slowly made their way through the riot into where Darhk was. They had captured him a few weeks ago, only for him to cause a prison riot now. Andy had volunteered to help, and as much as Oliver was unsure about him, Diggle trusted his brother, and so he had accepted.

Diggle, Thea, and Laurel finished taking care of a large group of twelve prisoners as he shot down five prisoners with tranquilizer arrows in quick succession. Oliver turned with an arrow nocked to see Darhk had picked up a gun and was pointing it at Diggle's brother, who let a prisoner walk up from behind him and grab him in a chokehold. Something was off…

Before he could decide what to do, Darhk threatened, "Lower your weapons, or I'll turn the wall into a Jackson Pollock painting with his brains."

Diggle, Thea, and Laurel all looked at him, and, after a moment, Oliver nodded. They all started to lower their weapons- but he let go of the bow's string, firing an arrow into Darhk's right kneecap as he lunged at Diggle's brother.

He managed to pin Andy and the prisoner to the ground, the bullet barely missing their heads. Oliver pulled out a flechette, jamming it into the prisoner's shoulder before holding him in front of Darhk's line of sight. Oliver grabbed a knife from the prisoner's pocket and handed it to Andy- who put it to his neck, causing everyone else to freeze.

Darhk slowly got up on his left leg alone, ignoring the pain from the arrow in his other kneecap by using League mental techniques to focus, before laughing painfully. "Surprise. Guess you didn't think he might have been a more willing soldier than some of my other Ghosts."

Diggle was shocked. "Andy?"

Darhk's loyal Ghost said emotionlessly, "I'm sorry man."

Having confirmation that Andy was not working with them, Oliver took action immediately and slammed his right elbow into Andy's arm, grabbing the knife as he dropped the prisoner and knocked them out with a kick. Before Andy could fight back, Oliver slammed him into the wall and knocked him out with a punch from his left fist.

Thea drew and fired two arrows into Darhk's chest, who fell over on his knees, clutching his lungs. Oliver slowly walked forward, and before Darhk could look up, he reversed the knife, held it with both hands, and drove it into the base of Darhk's neck, killing him instantly.

* * *

_Later That Month_

_Lian Yu_

Andy Diggle woke up with a start. He realized he was lying down, and slowly sat up, before looking up to see he was locked up in a cell, and his _brother _was on the other side, sitting down in a chair.

He asked raspily, "Where am I?"

John answered, "As far away from my family as I could get you. Where you can't hurt anyone. Not ever again."

Andy taunted, "That mobile safehouse you got looked _real_ home-y. Bet it gets cramped when Sara gets older. She's got to go to school eventually. And Lyla, well… you can't watch her twenty-four seven. This, what I do for H.I.V.E., or what's left of it now, is _war_, John, and sometimes in war, people get hurt."

John responded contemptuously, "And civilians? Even _children_? Since when were they expendable?"

Andy answered, "Sara wouldn't be the only civilian or even child to die. I've killed dozens of each, even back in Afghanistan."

He taunted further, "Tell me, how does it feel, knowing that you have no problem pulling the trigger to protect a bunch of Afghans that you never know, but you don't have the guys to do what's necessary, to protect your own wife and child. I mean, c'mon, you don't have the guts to kill me, John?"

John spoke as self-righteously as ever, "Nope. I have the strength to let you live. That's something I learned once I decided to leave the army, that sometimes you don't have to kill everyone who goes against what you believe in, and that's something you should think about while you're here… which is for the rest of your life."

Andy insisted. "You're a soldier. And soldiers kill. I know, I fought alongside you in Afghanistan. You and I, the both of us… we've each killed _plenty_."

John spoke thoughtfully, "Yes, we have. But I didn't continue killing beyond reason. You did. You joined H.I.V.E. And that's why you're here. Yet, I thank you. For reminding me of the lines that I should never have to cross."

He got up, turned around, and started walking to the exit. Andy got up in turn and slammed against the bars. "You think I won't get out of here, John?! You think… I won't kill your family, your friends?"

John opened the door, and answered without looking, "No, I don't. Because you're in purgatory."

His brother then closed the door, leaving his field of view. He shook the door to his cell, yelling, "I'll get them, John! I'll get them all!"

Meanwhile, in another cell, an inmate saw a guard, and asked, "Could I have a phone call? It's to the person who last visited me, Oliver Queen."

The guard walked next to the cell door, "You don't get phone calls in here, Mr. Wilson."

Slade **[3]** steps forward, up against the bars, slowly grasping them. "Then perhaps… you can give him a message for me."

* * *

**A/N:**

And that concludes this chapter. If it's not clear, because Malcolm is dead, Darhk never finds out Oliver has a son, it's not possible for the bunker to be infiltrated (as Malcolm tends to be the only person capable of it, though he claims every time that it's absurdly easy) and the idol to be stolen, and Darhk, as seen in the second part, thus lacks his powers and is defeated, being killed somewhat similarly to how Oliver killed Malcolm. The next chapter shall be called, "Fundamentally Flawed."

**[1]** I wanted to give Malcolm a good death. Too many villains die shocked in surprise, screaming in agony, or hissing in anger like they're stupid animals that are just being put down and out of their misery, making any battle leading up to it feel like it's just a small skirmish rather than a climactic battle. I know it's to emphasize the errors of the evil (alliteration, by the way) (and show how pathetic it can be) as a lesson to the readers, like the errors of arrogance, ignorance, rage, revenge, and fear. Personally, I much prefer the calm manners of death as done with Ra's and Talia in The Dark Knight Trilogy, and in Arrow of Malcolm himself (in 1x23, and even 5x23), Ra's, and Prometheus.

**[2]** Iron Heights is somehow right between Star City and Central City, and is used by both, making them be way to close for Flash not to help them every episode. Instead, Star City is still in Washington while Central City is in California, with iron Heights being the prison for Central City and Slabside Penitentiary being the prison for Star City. That will be true in almost all of my works, and I cannot stress that enough.

**[3] **Whether or not Slade is sane again or not is a different topic from the subject of this chapter, so I left it out, to be seen in a sequel chapter. Personally, either way would be epic: if he's sane, he becomes part of the team on essentially probation, or works for A.R.G.U.S. for a while against either the Quadrant or Longbow Hunters, and their villain is Diaz working with Joe and maybe Cayden, with Diaz also having connections to both the Quadrant and the Longbow Hunters, giving Prometheus an extra year to train with Talia and prepare and plan, and if he isn't, he kills the guard (to give a message) and begins his revenge again. Perhaps I'll develop those two independently at some time or other in a vignette, similar to the vignette around Failsafe's idea. Also, following up on what happened with Nyssa, all hail the new Ra's! What she does next is unrelated to this arc, though she either disbands the League again, or goes on her own agenda. How she's written depends on her circumstance, which can be affected by introducing new plot points that would tie into the vignettes around Slade's own choice I mentioned earlier. The League being disbanded sets off a huge number of assassins roaming the world without direction, and if she has an agenda… the Thanatos Guild will be involved somehow, and it can lead to a number of arcs.


	2. Flawed

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own DC Comics. I do not own The CW. I do not own anything related to DC Comics in general, or Arrow specifically. Except maybe a few DVDs of old DC movies that I haven't given away yet.

**Following Through**

**Chapter Two**

**Fundamentally Flawed**

By The Shroud

**A/N:**

The second long shot in this series. Please review on whatever you can, suggestions, ideas, etc. Going along the theme of this series, this chapter imagines if Oliver finished his 6x18 attack on Diaz and the SCPD (which has its own consequences, obviously, as he's not getting away free from that). Expect inconsistencies with S6, as Diaz was badly developed, the team was badly used, and Oliver was weakened way too much… and badly. I'm redoing the split, and I'm keeping the team somewhat self-righteous, but I'll try to keep them from acting like, for lack of a better word, jerks. As much as possible. Well, that applies more to the sequel chapter. I also took the lethality of the Hood to a slight extreme. Now that's explained... so it begins.

* * *

_Middle April, 2018_

_Star City_

Oliver paused for a moment, alone, to gather his thoughts… before he heard Adrian's voice taunting him again. "I'm sorry, Oliver. For what it's worth, I always thought you were a half-way decent mayor. Not a great track record when it comes to hiring DAs, though."

He ignored Adrian, to try to deny his existence even more, "This Vertigo… it's going to be out of my system, and once it is… you'll be gone."

His persistent hallucination of Adrian walked around to in front of him and shook his head. "Not possible. I'm not here, remember?"

Adrian pointed a finger and held his hand up to Oliver's head, with his thumb stretched out vertically and reminding him of how Adrian shot himself. "I'm here. I'm you. The Vertigo's already wearing off. But you've been seeing me ever since the island **[1]**, because you couldn't live with your own regret. Now, that's leading you all the way back to me. Or rather, I should say, you. I'm just in your head; you're the one you're talking to. Which is why you're going to need to listen to me when I'm going to tell you what you have to do. The only way to prove that you can truly be a hero and keep being mayor is to take down Diaz, tonight."

Oliver refused. "That's… suicide. He's got an army."

His subconscious explained to himself, "You mean all those cops at the SCPD? That's the risk a hero takes, isn't it, Oliver? Diaz is there, every night, 10:13 PM. Question is… will you be there to meet him?"

Oliver nodded, and Adrian smiled before elaborating, "Besides, you know you can do it. You just have to stop holding back. The 'real' Adrian wanted to show you that you were a monster, but what I'm being used to show you… is that sometimes, to defeat other, malevolent monsters like this Dragon before they can harm anyone else, you yourself _need_ to be a monster."

* * *

_A.R.G.U.S. Safehouse_

Slowly, in a private safehouse he had gotten Amanda to give him about a year before her death, Oliver forged the new tools to accomplish his mission, like it was supposed to be accomplished. He recreated the bow he used at the beginning of the journey, changing it only slightly to include tips sharp enough to cut through flesh easily. Oliver dragged the right tip lightly on the tip of his thumb to test it, where a small, red drop of blood formed without any significant pressure. Harsh language and some light punches would not be enough to save his city, not with the threats that existed in this world. So instead, he would go back to the fundamentals, and deliver death where he had to in order to survive and succeed.

Satisfied with the bow, he continued to make custom arrows and flechettes, not unlike those of Merlyn, that would split through bone without difficulty, such as through the rib cage to the heart or through the skull and into the brain. Oliver swapped out the explosive compound in his explosive arrows to a more powerful and less diluted form of the same substance that would be more deadly than the usual lightshow, and made an additional fragmentary explosive arrow that would act similar to a grenade, using a small explosion to launch small pieces of shrapnel in all directions. Diaz would protect himself with as many corrupt cops as were in the SCPD, and so he would have to prepare for that.

Oliver searched through the storage he had here, full of old reminders of the past, and found his original, more flexible (and thus better for evading bullets) suit with the hood that brought back so many memories in and of itself. Yao Fei, Shado, working for A.R.G.U.S., being trained by Talia, returning to Star City as the Hood...

Shaking himself out of his mind, he removed the capsules that contained a variety of devices that could be useful from his new suit and placed them on the straps to his old suit, while also including the old voice modifier and grabbing the mask from when he was Al Sah-him **[2]**.

And so the monster returned, in order for it to destroy the Dragon.

* * *

_10:14 PM_

_Star City Police Department_

Oliver fired an arrow, taking down a corrupt cop on guard duty. Before he could walk forward, he heard Quentin call out, "Hey! What are you doing in that old thing?"

He answered with vigorous determination without looking, instead searching for the best way to invade the building, "Getting back to my original mission."

Quentin tried to protect him. "You cannot go in there! You're outnumbered."

Oliver replied calmly, sensibly, "I can handle it. This ends tonight. Just let me do what I always do, and save the city. I've let Diaz live and run around hurting people for too long, and so this shall be his last day on the Earth. And if I die… that will be the last life he ever takes."

Quentin reluctantly stepped back, requesting one last thing, "Just… please try to stay alive."

He nodded abruptly, and Quentin stayed back as he advanced into the Dragon's lair, ripping out the arrow he had fired into the guard outside to use again.

Within, two cops were talking about trivial matters in a corridor, before the lights failed as the power lines were cut. One moved to grab the radio to call for backup as the other reached forhis gun-

But he dropped down from his perch, fired the radio out of the former's hands and stomped on the former's chest to incapacitate him, while forcing the latter up against a wall.

He demanded, "Where's Diaz?!"

The cop answered, "Somewhere inside, surrounded by a hundred cops. You'll never g-"

Already sick and tired of hearing people telling him what he could or could not do, the Hood interrupted the statement by slamming the corrupt officer against the other wall, knocking him out and then removed the arrow he had used.

He moved back around a corner, evading the line of sight of two more cops.

One said, "He's here. How predictable."

The other moved further down the corridor as the first radioed in, "Lockdown mode, now. Protect Diaz."

While she was distracted, he fired the arrow he had used earlier at her, causing her to run away as fast as she could. It would not be fast enough.

Minutes later, Oliver was deeper inside the building, punching _another_ cop twice in the stomach and then in the throat, before throwing him through a window. He swiftly moved around a corner to see another cop running straight at him, who he simply tossed out the window behind him and out of the building. Three more came out, and he fired an arrow at the first before kicking the second squarely in the chest, and then shoving the last down to the floor and stomping twice on their back. He moved up against a wall to avoid a shot from a fourth officer, who he punched a few times before throwing them into a window, where they stayed, unconscious.

A minute later, he took down two more cops, and a third tried to point a gun at him, but he whacked it aside with his bow, pushing them against the wall and commanding slowly, menacingly, "Tell. Me. Where. Diaz. Is."

When they didn't respond, the Hood threw the cop against another wall, cracking it slightly, and they fell to the ground.

He asked a second time, "Where's Diaz?"

When they tried to reach for a gun, he took out a flechette and stabbed it through their thigh, before twisting it and shouting, "Tell me!"

The cop finally relented, and pointed, gasping, "In there."

The Hood picked up their gun, disassembled it, and then walked forward to stand in front of the door, planning. Inside, unseen to him, there were fifteen cops, with Diaz at the back, watching a monitor at the side of the entrance that showed him the Hood. He commented, "This is gonna be fun."

Outside, Oliver was right next to the door, only to hear Felicity. "No, no, no, no, no! Do. Not. Open. That door. On the other side, there's a bunch of trigger-happy cops, just waiting for you. It is a _trap_."

He turned, and answered sarcastically, "No, I didn't know it was a trap. I thought he just _let me_ know that he was here, and that he would just _let me_ kill him, without having a bunch of cops guard him. Get out, Felicity. The crossfire is going to be very dangerous. I'm going in there now, so. Just. Get. Out."

Without listening to any more, he pulled a powerful explosive arrow and a fragmentary explosive arrow from his quiver, moved off to his right side, nocked the first… and let it fly through the air.

It started blinking, and Felicity finally understood his resolution and quickly hid outside of the room he was in.

The arrow exploded, sending shrapnel from the door and smoke from the explosion itself into the room, the shrapnel piercing the chests of six officers that were in front of the door. For a brief instant he moved in front of the door, counting ten people left, including Diaz, and released the second arrow, before moving back for cover. The arrow cut through the smoke, embedding in the opposite wall before exploding. The shrapnel from the fragmentary explosive arrow killed four more officers, causing Diaz to become unsettled.

Two cops slowly came out of the door through the smoke, looking forward. He threw his bow, and the tips at the ends sliced their throats, killing them from the blood loss just as the bow embedded itself partially in the far wall. The Hood crouched, before rolling across the floor in front of the bodies while throwing a flechette at a dark shadow in the smoke. A slightly audible thud confirmed that he hit them.

The Hood grabbed his bow and charged into the room. Seeing three guns pointed at him by Diaz and two cops, he rolled to the side and, using a sharp end of the bow, slit the throat of the closest cop while using their body as a shield as it was pumped full of lead by Diaz and the other officer. After a moment, the officer had to reload, but Diaz was smart enough to avoid wasting any more ammo, instead trying to wait for an opportunity. The Hood made his move, throwing the corpse at Diaz while lunging forward, grabbing a flechette, and embedding it in the officer's heart.

Diaz had thrown the corpse aside, but before Diaz could shoot, the Hood threw his bow, knocking the gun out of Diaz's hand. Diaz drew a knife and sliced through the air repeatedly at the Hood, forcing him back to the door, before the Hood saw an opportunity, grabbing the hand with a knife, turning around, yanking the right arm downward and to his left as he crouched, causing Diaz to flip over his head, falling to the ground with a painful impact. The Hood twisted the knife out of Diaz's hand and held it to Diaz's throat, ready to finish Diaz once and for all. "Stop, or I'll shoot her!"

He looked up, to see a corrupt cop he had left alive earlier had Felicity in a firm chokehold with a gun to her head. The moment Oliver was distracted, Diaz grabbed a flechette from Oliver's suit and stabbed it into his leg, before ripping it back out. Oliver fell over in momentary pain, and Diaz stood up, exhausted, before slowly making it to Felicity, and talking apathetically, "Well, well. Your lovely wife, I see. You know, you nearly got me there. I'm impressed, finally. That's the great _Green Arrow_ I heard so much about. Though, judging from the amount of dead bodies, I'd say it's more reminiscent of the Hood. My plan with the Vertigo might have had some fundamental flaws, as you were able to get through it, but I was still able to stop you, it seems. This was a good dance, a challenge I haven't faced for a while. But now, just like all the others, such as my teacher and namesake, Richard Dragon, there you are, lying on the floor and beaten, and here I am, standing up and alive."

Oliver looked up and retorted, "You haven't beaten me yet. And you won't."

Diaz smiled. "No, I haven't. But now I will."

As Diaz finished his statement, he shoved the flechette he grabbed earlier in between Felicity's ribs on her left side, piercing her heart. Diaz nodded, and the officer dropped her, as she bled out, lifeless.

Seeing Diaz take the gun from the officer led the Hood to act on instinct, not willing to risk emotion piercing his heart, moving to the closest place of cover, back into the room that still had some smoke in it, which could be used as visual cover.

Inside the room, he grabbed his bow and moved quietly to the side, before moving out with two arrows drawn, firing the first at the officer and about to fire the second until he saw Diaz had his gun on him at the exact same time. Instead, he paused, and Diaz offered, "I wanted to get a real round with you. Let's go for round two, then. This time, no more guns, no more blades, no more bows, no more arrows, and no more holding back. From either of us. Just you and I, Oliver."

The Hood nodded slowly, dropping the bow as Diaz dropped his gun, and he agreed. "You and I."

Diaz punched at him only for Oliver to step back, once, twice, three times, four ti- this time, Oliver parried the blow with his left hand and jabbed at Diaz, who dodged to his own right. In response, Diaz punched him in quick succession, with him blocking with both arms. Diaz tried to land a powerful punch directed downward to the left at his neck with his own right hand, but Oliver blocked it with his left before jabbing his right elbow and then right fist into Diaz's chest. He grabbed Diaz by the suit and pushed him back, only for Diaz to push his arms off to the side. Oliver evaded a wild punch from Diaz before delivering two powerful punches from his left fist to Diaz's jaw, pushing him back against a wall. He placed his right forearm up against Diaz's throat, until punching him and then throwing him down to the floor. Oliver circled around as Diaz got up- but Diaz pulled a switchblade from his suit. "I guess this won't be a real round then. Doesn't matter too much, just _so long as I succeed_!"

Diaz charged with the last few words, slicing at Oliver. He moved to stab Oliver, but Oliver grabbed his hand firmly with both of his own hands.

Diaz started punching Oliver in the jaw, forcing him to find a path in the dilemma of either letting Diaz punch him into unconsciousness or risk his hold on the knife and probably die. He looked down-

And he pulled it towards him, in between two of his lower ribs, using it as leverage to grab Diaz's elbow and break his arm. In pain, Diaz staggered, and Oliver stepped back, yanking the knife out from his own chest. Diaz tried to land a punch with his left arm, but Oliver blocked it and, using his left hand, stabbed the switchblade into Diaz's shoulder and into a vital artery next to his neck, before Diaz punched him down to the ground, and then fell down, bleeding to death.

Oliver let himself fall to the ground, before sitting up and pressing his wound with his right hand. Diaz spoke one final time, "I guess I'll be seeing you, Oliver."

Oliver replied back acerbically. "No, you won't. I might be going to purgatory for what I've done, one day… but I think you'll be going to hell. Today."

Slowly, grunting, Oliver stood up, and walked away, limping from the sheer pain. He looked at Felicity's body, closed her eyes with a mournful tear, and then walked forward, back to his own private hideout, where he could rest, and heal, without the recently continuous disruptive interference and irrationality of the team, while Raisa would keep William safe. He recited to himself a phrase in Russian he heard from Anatoly, and continued walking through the pain. "_The shark that does not swim, drowns._"

* * *

**A/N:**

And that concludes this chapter. In real life, I might be moving within the week, which will cause an intermission as I work on everything, and so I wanted to deliver a few new chapters. As a result, I'm posting some other chapters early, in this and maybe other works.

**[1]** This is a ret-con, so that I can use Adrian some more, have Oliver be stable, and also explore inside Oliver's head. That is to be explored... in sequel chapters.

**[2]** I really feel like the voice modifier is not used anywhere near how it should be. I think he made a speech in S4 out in public, where people were definitely recording it to post publicly on the internet, and voice analysis like the stuff the FBI have… you know, would probably reveal his identity, or at least narrow it down considerably. The mask is because surveillance footage can definitely see his facial hair otherwise, which again, looks suspiciously like that of the mayor. It also serves as a minor form of protection, and the voice changer has a second use of interrogation.


	3. No Tricks

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own DC Comics. I do not own The CW. I do not own anything related to DC Comics in general, or Arrow specifically. Except maybe a few DVDs of old DC movies that I haven't given away yet.

**Following Through**

**Chapter Three**

**No Tricks Up His Sleeve**

By The Shroud

**A/N:**

Please review on whatever you can, suggestions, ideas, etc. This chapter imagines if Oliver killed Malcolm, once again, but this time in the S3 cliffhanger of episode 9. It combines bits and pieces of arcs from S3 to S7, though mainly just the heir plotline in part and the existence of H.I.V.E., Prometheus, Diaz, and the Ninth Circle.

* * *

_Middle December, 2014_

_Verdant_

Oliver sat, brooding, until he heard his godfather speak, "It's the strangest thing."

He raised his head and turned around, as Merlyn continued confrontationally, "Thea just called, and said that she was attacked by the _Arrow_. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, now would you, Oliver?"

Oliver stood up and realized _everything_. He had heard of Vortura, and it made sense as an explanation. "This was you. You know, I figured, when I spared the man who murdered my mother, I would never kill again."

He grabbed Malcolm's throat and brutally slammed him against the countertop, and finished, "I was wrong."

Merlyn tried to weasel his way out of it. "You might want to reconsider. I have video evidence that Thea was the one who killed Sara, and if I die… that video will automatically be sent to Ra's. setting off a manhunt in which Thea will have no escape. And I don't think you want that to happen to her."

Oliver saw through it. "I will tell Ra's that this was you, that you did this."

His godfather desperately defended, although not showing it in his voice or expression, "And he will still kill her, for firing the arrow."

He shook his head, the rage in his voice gradually growing, and squeezed Merlyn's neck with precision, blocking the blood flow of two major arteries that led to the brain. "Not if I give him something in exchange, which is the actual only thing I can do to save Thea. Not even you would be able to pull the veil over Ra's' eyes forever. He would find out, and he would kill Thea anyway **[1]**. If I was still the unthinking godson you once knew years ago, I wouldn't have understood that, simply accepting your words and thinking I had no choice. But I've grown beyond that, and I don't think you have any more tricks left up your sleeve. Your endless cycle of lies, betrayals, and unjustified death ends _here_. No further, shall it go on **[2]**! The line is drawn _here!_"

As he angrily finished his response, he pressed even harder, forcing Malcolm into unconsciousness… and then to death. Oliver slowly caught his breath, before closing Malcolm's eyes and coming to a decision.

* * *

_Later That Day_

_Nanda Parbat_

Having made all his arrangements with those he had to leave behind in Star City, and now having arrived in Nanda Parbat, he stepped forward in front of the throne were Ra's sat, with League members flanking both him and the Demon's Head.

Ra's asked him blankly, "Why should I spare your sister from her sentence?"

Oliver answered, "At the time, she was under the effects of Vortura, by the Magician, someone who was only able to do so because you chose to train him. In return for her life, I offer the Magician's head, and to work willingly for you. If that is not enough, perhaps I can deliver more. Anything to save my sister."

Ra's stood up and walked forward, staring into his eyes for but a second, seemingly almost… in surprise? "The offer, in the original form, is acceptable."

* * *

_Late January, 2015_

Oliver woke up with a start, feeling in his bones that Ra's wanted to talk with him outside, in the snow. After a moment, he stood up, and took the fastest route through the maze that the main base of the League was, a maze he had memorized over the weeks upon weeks of training.

Outside, he saw Ra's looking over the surroundings from a cliff, and slowly made his way through the snow, to up there.

Oliver stopped three meters from Ra's, waiting for the next orders. Ra's crouched down, looking at the horizon, where the sun was rising, before beginning. "During your training, you have no doubt wondered why I have chosen to invest so much time and effort in you. The reason… is that in the League, the Head has more power than merely that over the League or through the Lazarus Pit. There are supernatural abilities granted by being the Head of the Demon, and one of those is the ability to receive prophecies. The League has existed for millenia, with many bearing the title of Ra's, lasting between as short as a few hours due to being a usurper or as long as nearly four millennia. I myself have lasted for nearly two millennia. Every Ra's has eventually received a prophecy of who their heir would be, and then used it to search, identify, and recruit the heir. Sometimes an heir is found by happenstance, identified upon further reflection, or necessarily forced into the League. The prophecy of my own heir… matches to you, as I realized when you made the offer for your sister's life. It mentioned that you matched all three of those, that you seek above all to provide justice and protect your family, that you have endured a trial of many years of hell that changes you from a thoughtless person into a man of focus, commitment, and will. Above any other, the most intriguing is that you would defeat a man who tried to usurp my position, a man I have told you about, Damien Darhk, once known as Al Syd or The Tamer **[3]**. And today, I believe you are ready to be recognized as my heir."

Ra's stood up and turned around, speaking almost proudly, "For your progress, I now give you the title of Warith al Ghul, no longer merely Al Sah-him. In two weeks, we will have the honor of launching an attack upon Darhk and his organization, that hive of spectres **[4]**, and I will relinquish the League to you."

Overwhelmed with information, all Oliver could do was bow and say, "Thank you, my liege."

* * *

_Early February, 2015_

_H.I.V.E. Main Base, Star City_

He and Ra's watched as a legion of eighty assassins stood at attention, ready for the attack upon the small skyscraper whose true purpose lied in the cavern full of technology and soldiers beneath that Darhk routinely used, Ra's spoke softly, "And now the end of my dance with Darhk begins."

As though realizing where he was, the Demon's Head turned to him and commanded, "For this battle, you shall be the one to use the Ring, and the fires of destruction shall scorch and engrave into history this moment as when you became Ra's al Ghul."

Oliver asked, "Isn't that rather hasty? Wouldn't it be best to be careful and let the one who knows best how to use it actually, you know, use it?"

Ra's smiled slightly, as though knowing something special. "But the prophecy requires that it happen as I just said **[5]**. I wouldn't want to have gone through all this work just for you to throw it away because we didn't pay proper attention to the prophecy."

Reluctantly, he accepted the Ring, which disappeared into smoke from Ra's' hand and rematerialized on his own hand.

The previous Demon's Head now put on his hood, asking, "So what are your orders, _Ra's_?"

And so the bloodbath began.

Hardly ten minutes later, they made their way into the seventh level down out of fifty two, where one of Darhk's greatest weapons, a Khushu idol **[6]**, laid in wait, and yet they were already down to twenty assassins, who were falling to the highly capable Spectres of Darhk, who, if not skilled, possessed impressive discipline and firepower.

Oliver used the powers of the Ring to disappear and reappear behind a group of Spectres that were protecting the idol, as the electronic system had failed thanks to another one of the Ring's powers, and he swiftly decapitated them with a single swing- and then was thrown up against the ceiling with a humongous force, barely able to breath. "Now what's this? Someone with the powers of the Demon's Head, but not my old pal? That's interesting, to say the least."

Darhk had arrived.

The previous Demon's Head raised his sword behind Damien Darhk, intending to go for decapitation, and Darhk turned around to blast Ra's against the wall, dropping Oliver as the idol could only have one target at a time.

Oliver used the Ring to appear behind Darhk, grabbing him in a chokehold, but Darhk used his magic to force Oliver down to the ground-

Ra's had recovered, now swinging his sword at Darhk again, causing Darhk to draw two blades, one from each sleeve, both enchanted to be able to kill the Demon's Head. He blocked blow after blow from both of them, using his magic to supplement where he was unable to parry.

However, Ra's knew that Darhk was stalling for reinforcements to help those already in the building defeat the remaining assassins and help him as well. So he found an opportunity- and forced Darhk's blade into his chest above his heart, using that to step forward just close enough to swing his sword and cleave the idol in two.

Oliver stepped back in surprise, seeing his mentor willingly accept death, and Darhk was similarly shocked to see his old friend die, even if they had violently split long ago. They each caught their breath, before glancing at each other. Rather than continue the fight on and possibly die due to the lack of available Spectres and the destruction of his idol, Darhk came up with a plan, suggesting, "I have no doubt my fallen friend has told you of a binding mystical blood treaty, where two parties come to an agreement and each must follow it until one decides not to, in which case the other will psychically know."

Oliver asked, still reeling from the battle, "What are you suggesting?"

Darhk explained, "I propose that we will not attack each other or order any of those who follow our orders to attack each other. In return, we shall work together to defeat a new organization that recently rose to power and that I, again, have no doubt that Ra's told you of... the Ninth Circle, which is comprised of selfish individuals neither of us would prefer to each other. Do we have a deal?"

Darhk used the blade in his left hand to cut his right palm, before handing the blade to Oliver, who, after a moment, nodded, making a similar cut along his own palm. They clasped their right hands together, and started chanting the words of the treaty in the League's dialect in Arabic- and their hands glowed like a lightbulb, before the light faded away.

They nodded to each other, and Oliver used the powers of the Ring to disappear to Nanda Parbat.

Damien Darhk simply smirked, having seen under the hood when he had blasted the new Ra's against the ceiling. "You don't know who you're messing with, Oliver Queen."

* * *

_Later That Day_

Having returned to the main base that was still in shambles and having found his weaponry, Simon Morrison continued sharpening his chokuto blade once again, until it fit his purposes. Suddenly, the door opened, and he instantly looked at it, expecting a possible attack, only to see his mentor of the past three years, Damien Darhk, walk in. Perhaps today was the day he would be allowed to carry out his own mission, the one that Darhk had originally recruited him for, to kill the Arrow, Oliver Queen, who had been troublesome to some H.I.V.E. operations. Well, his own mission was something entirely different, something that was truly a favor to show Oliver his true nature, just as Oliver inspired him to explore his own darkness. Not that _Darhk_ would need to know.

His mentor spoke, "There is a new Ra's. The previous one has fallen. What I think will interest you is that the new Ra's is none other than Mr. Queen himself."

Simon smiled. "So you're sending me after him? It's about time."

He rose, only for Darhk to shake his head enigmatically. "No, no. I've made a binding mystical blood treaty of non-aggression with him, in the interest of jointly defeating the Ninth Circle. Specifically, I will not attack him or _order_ any of _my own_ assets to attack him. Of course, if I so happened to cut you loose, happened to _accidentally_, _inadvertently_ cause criminals and prisoners in Star City to be released or given resources, ranging from small threats like Tobias Church and Ricardo Diaz to the Longbow Hunters and Jackals that are truly dangerous but have run out of resources that would let them skyrocket to the top of the criminal world, and if I just so _happened _to mention that I wouldn't lift a finger against you if you did do a particular _something_… well, that's completely different."

Comprehension dawned upon Simon's face, and Darhk finished, handing him a good deal of files and papers, "Here are some documents that should clarify everything about your new identity, _Mr. Chase._"

* * *

**A/N:**

And that concludes this chapter. I do plan a sequel to this chapter, but you might all want to notice that I had Darhk say Mr. Chase, not Adrian Chase or Dorian Chase… and now forget about that, because I'm not going to say I'm going to do a thing that one group of people would like to see, only to actually do a thing an entirely different group of people would be interested in. I'm not one of the showrunners on Arrow… which if I was, things would be different… I hope.

**[1]** Ra's seemed really dumb and passive in the show during the period when Malcolm's plan unfolded. Would he really blindly accept that the Magician was not involved despite all the sketchiness? Not my Ra's that's partly borrowed from Gotham and the comics, but maybe so for Ra's a-love Guru.

**[2]** This part was itself partly inspired by a speech by Captain Picard in Star Trek: First Contact when talking about the Borg, because I just rewatched that recently.

**[3]** From Google Translate, "Al Syd" back-translates more closely to 'The Master', but Master has a similar enough meaning to 'Tamer' that I feel it's justified. Call it a quirk of the League's dialect, an error they made over the years, or perhaps a mistake Arabic itself made as it shifted slightly over the years itself. I want to say now that Ra's' original League name was Al Jirah, because that's what 'The Surgeon' gives in Google Translate, which is something close enough to Doctor, which relates to Ra's' backstory in the comics in here and the comics of knowing a lot about medicine… and that was not just a weak excuse for a Doctor Who reference.

**[4]** I'm renaming the Ghosts to remove any connection to the underwhelming ones in the show. They'll be more similar to the Wolves from Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

**[5]** It's not part of the prophecy, he just made that up. Why? Because he doesn't care about if he dies, only that the League will have its new Ra's and that Darhk will be defeated as soon as possible before more people fall victim to his actions, which is itself something that depends on the first condition.

**[6]** The Khushu idol is way less overpowered in this. It has limited telekinesis, only able to supply one _single_ force from a distance, no matter the power of that force or the distance, with the maximum power falling off with the square of the distance, and the maximum power possible is determined by how many souls are sacrificed. Darhk's real power will instead be in his organization, his skills, and his deceptively straightforward yet manipulative mind.


	4. Wrath

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own DC Comics. I do not own The CW. I do not own anything related to DC Comics in general, or Arrow specifically. Except maybe a few DVDs of old DC movies that I haven't given away yet.

**Following Through**

**Chapter Four**

**Dragon's Wrath**

By The Shroud

**A/N:**

Please review on whatever you can, suggestions, ideas, etc. This chapter imagines if Diaz really went all out on the full Team Arrow, and pretended that he was a real threat that was truly dangerous. I try to imitate the quick cut style of Arrow, and I'm not sure how I feel about it as opposed to the longer, continuous shot style. Let me know your thoughts on it. Expect death, vengeance, and a cliffhanger.

* * *

_Middle May, 2018_

_Star City_

At Oliver's house, he, Felicity, and William were having dinner, but he received a notification on his phone. Oliver got up and slowly walked to the phone, seeing a message from Anatoly to him and all the other members of the team, saying, 'GET OUT. NOW.'

He turned around, saw red dots zeroing in on each of their hearts, and shouted, "Get down! **[1]**"

Oliver flung himself to the floor, behind the countertop. From their breathing, he could tell they were both still alive, but Felicity must have been tagged with a bullet. He whispered to them, "Come over here-"

From the neighboring rooftop, a grenade had been fired at and through their window, exploding. As his ears started ringing, the three Quadrant members ziplined over to their roof, before dropping down to their balcony and then walking in. Felicity and William managed to crawl over to him despite being hit by some of the grenade fragments, and he gestured for them to stay quiet. They pulled out rifles, and he scrambled to get a weapon, only to find a barely sharp enough kitchen knife. It would have to do.

* * *

_Same Time_

Diggle received a notification, and he saw the message from Anatoly **[2]** just as he heard gunshots in a nearby room.

* * *

Curtis was with Nick, and received the message, just as three Quadrant members dropped down and started shooting, prompting Nick to tackle him down to the ground behind a desk.

* * *

Three gunmen kicked down the door before starting to shoot, and Rene jumped down behind a table, pushing it over to provide cover for both him and Zoe.

* * *

Dinah was talking to the unconscious person she had been dealing with, mocking, "You know, you're gonna wake up in a couple hours, your head's gonna be throbbing, you're gonna regret not talking."

Seven gunmen reloaded their guns behind her, and she realized, "Oh… you were just the bait."

* * *

In the hospital, Diggle ran through the crowd of people running away from the gunshots just as he was going towards them. Lyla had taken care of four gunmen already, and swung around when she heard his footsteps, only for him to raise his gun and shoot a gunman behind her. She spoke, "Thanks."

Three more gunmen swung around the corner, crouching, firing everywhere down the narrow hallway, where the two didn't have any cover and the rooms to the side were closed and locked. Diggle and Lyla were both shot down, falling to the ground, before the gunmen advanced to shoot both of them in the head.

* * *

The gunmen swung through the window, and Curtis saw that Nick had taken a bullet in the heat, and sobbed, "No, no, no-"

Before seeing the gunmen advance, and threw a Sphere, which managed to shock two gunmen, but the third had already opened fire, killing him, before the third gunmen was shocked as well.

* * *

Rene picked up his gun, and spoke to Zoe, "Don't look."

Zoe nodded, and he sat up, shooting the three gunmen in the head in quick succession. Prepared for more, he started reloading, and just as he finished, five more came through. The first two he shot down, but each of the next three had grenade launchers, and two managed to fire grenades before also getting gunned down. The grenades blew up, destroying his house and killing him, though he managed to shield his daughter from the blast.

* * *

Dinah carefully considered her options, before screaming and then swinging around and using a baton to bat the guns out of their hands. Part of the sound wave vibrated throughout the wall in front of her, and another part reflected before hitting her, the gunmen behind her, and the other wall, which resonated, causing the walls to collapse on them. Thanks to the slight increased durability she had as a metahuman, she was able to get up, and started stumbling away to the safe way, but got sniped from another rooftop from another person. This other person was wearing a strange black suit with concentric white circles, and whispered, almost childishly, "Bang."

* * *

_Primary Lair_

Eight members of the Quadrant moved with precision, using axes to smash all the cases, crush the computers, rip out the wires, tear up the suits, and demolish the walls besides that right next to the elevator.

* * *

_Quadrant Safehouse_

Diaz spoke over the phone, "Oh, if only I could have done this months ago **[3]**. Torch it."

* * *

_Primary Lair_

They started pouring gasoline all over the place, while also including some dynamite. All but one went into the elevator, and the last one activated a lighter, dropped it, and then ran back to the elevator, barely escaping the fiery explosion that completely wrecked the lair.

* * *

_Back In Oliver's House_

Oliver crawled over to the opposite side, before jumping out to slit the closest one's throat, knowing that reluctance to kill could only be fatal in this case, and used their body as a shield. He picked up a nearby table, throwing it at one of the two remaining gunmen while throwing the corpse at the other and running up to slit their throat as well, pulling out a fully loaded pistol from their jacket and, seeing the last one lying on the floor from the table he had thrown, shot the final one in the head…only for five more gunmen to bust in through the door and begin firing haphazardly everywhere, killing Felicity and William and hitting him twice in the chest. Before they could start aiming at him, he shot them in rapid succession, killing them as it was unlikely they would have useful enough information for interrogation to yield anything of value.

Oliver breathed in and out, in and out. He slowly crawled over to William and Felicity, closing their eyes, gaining a dark form of determination. He may have suffered the brunt of the Dragon's wrath, but the Dragon would learn to fear his own wrath… if he didn't die first.

* * *

**A/N:**

And that concludes this chapter. I considered killing absolutely everyone, even Oliver, but this leaves room for a sequel where I can explore a possible plot (or three) that I hope everyone can enjoy.

[1] William and Felicity were at the table, then the three attackers show up, and then Oliver shouts for them to get down and suddenly they're teleported behind the countertop with him. Not here. In addition, the other two just stand and wait while he takes out one of them rather slowly (relatively) and don't shoot at him or the fleeing Felicity and William. Not here. I give them a lot of luck… but it's not enough. I should warn you that I'm particularly fond, in the actions scenes I write, of headshots (in the rare case I include a gun or when there's a blade of some kind going through the brain stem) and of slitting throats. They seem logical targets, considering that they will certainly kill the person in question (almost certainly if they're Frank Castle and get lucky with those bullets to the skull, but the other things should work unless they have some blood bags on them that automatically pump in blood somehow long enough to survive a few more seconds and then manage to press a hand against the wound, which drastically limits their fighting capabilities. The brain stem is still as certain as ever, though, unless the attacker misses.)

[2] Anatoly sending it to all of them makes more sense than Diaz sending a group to Oliver and then to everyone else, thereby allowing Felicity to warn everyone. Diaz is quite the 'loser' in S6&7. Not here. Instead, he sends eight attackers, staggering them with three as a first wave and five more to follow up… oh, I meant eight each.

[2] He wasn't able to, because he didn't have full control of the Quadrant yet. But now, he's about to find out why it's a very, very bad idea...


	5. Hell

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own DC Comics. I do not own The CW. I do not own anything related to DC Comics in general, or Arrow specifically. Except maybe a few DVDs of old DC movies that I haven't given away yet.

**Following Through**

**Chapter Five**

**Purgatory Becomes Hell**

By The Shroud

**A/N:**

Please review on whatever you can, suggestions, ideas, etc. This chapter imagines if Adrian's bombs actually did something… or rather, actually destroyed… _the_… **whole**… _**island**_. I would say to expect inconsistencies with S4, because I doubt many of you want consistency with S4, but it didn't matter enough to change things. Now that's explained... so it begins.

* * *

_Late May, 2017_

_Lian Yu_

Oliver tightly held William in his arms, and Adrian, with an arrow in his leg and barely sitting up on the floor, was talking, "He's younger than you were, so he's gonna be fine. And you have each other."

He interrupted, "What are you saying?"

Adrian continued anyway, "Which is good, Oliver, that's good. Because it's going to be lonely, without Mom… and everyone else."

As he finished his sentence, Adrian pulled out a manual trigger, holding it in front of his heart. He yelled out, "No, Adrian-"

But it was too late, the trigger had been set off, and the island exploded in the distance. Adrian just smiled. "Now, kill me, whatever… I've finally succeeded, in taking everything away from you. Maybe you don't understand it yet, but it's a favor. Those people… they're just gonna drag you down, give you talks about what's moral, but morals don't exist, not really, not outside the imaginations of people like them. When you killed my father, you helped me realize I could be something similar, something else beyond an average person, with darkness and power. You regressed, so I just consider this to be returning the favor, getting you to embrace this darkness just as you got me to. In time, you'll _thank _me."

He held back his rage… and began tying Adrian up.

A few minutes later, the boat arrived at the shore, and he told William, "Wait here. There are landmines, and I don't want to risk you, especially- especially if… you know."

Later, he found the monastery, only to discover that everyone there was dead. Adrian must have placed extra explosives in the monastery, in case someone tried to hide there. And not long after that, he found them. All of them. He slowly walked through the bodies, trying to find anyone with a heartbeat… until he got to Slade, who awoke with a start, badly injured and dying from the explosion. "Kid, I'm sorry, for not being able to get them to the boat."

Oliver shook his head, "Slade, I know you tried your best. You're going to be o-"

Slade spoke almost acerbically, "Don't give me useless platitudes and maybes, kid. Tell me, am I going to die?"

Oliver regretfully nodded, knowing he was unable to treat the wounds Slade had.

Slade made a final request, "Then, promise me, please, find my children **[1]**, make sure they're safe."

Oliver nodded again, and Slade spoke his last words, "Thanks, kid."

And Slade fell limp.

* * *

_Later That Day_

He asked Lyla as he saw a group of A.R.G.U.S. agents handling Adrian, "So what's going to happen to him?"

Lyla answered, "We're sending him to a recently built supermax, the Mariana Trench Facility, physiologically impossible to escape from. It's underwater, at a great depth. I don't know the exact science, but it has a modular design, and if anyone did escape, they'd instantly be crushed or they'd suffer from a form of decompression sickness so bad that they'd literally explode upon getting close enough to the surface** [2]**. He's not ever getting out, though he can still be contacted wirelessly if you need to ask him anything."

Oliver felt sick at the thought of ever seeing Adrian again. "Good."

Lyla asked him, "So what are you going to do now?"

He slowly considered the question, before answering, "I made a promise to Slade, before he died, that I would find his children, make sure they're safe. So that's what I'm going to do."

* * *

**A/N:**

And that concludes this chapter. This was a somewhat depressing chapter, and the sequel should be no less sorrowful, given how all sorts of characters, both allies and enemies, will remind Oliver of those he lost to Adrian. This might be the last chapter I'm posting until the move (in real life) that I'm doing is complete.

**[1]** In here, Slade's children are (and he knows them to be, unlike how he didn't know that Grant existed) Joe, Rose, and Grant, from oldest to youngest. Or, rather, were.

**[2]** This actually probably could work, from the physics I know and making a few guesses.


	6. Downfall

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own DC Comics. I do not own The CW. I do not own anything related to DC Comics in general, or Arrow specifically. Except maybe a few DVDs of old DC movies that I haven't given away yet.

**Following Through**

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Downfall by Demon**

By The Shroud

**A/N:**

Please review on whatever you can, suggestions, ideas, etc. This chapter imagines if Ra's demonstrated any of his actual skill or power (such as from Gotham) on that bridge battle… along with a few other AU elements (including one I stole from my other story, Prometheus Unleashed, though that's more of a reference than anything too big). By the way, I'm changing my update schedule to still be every week, but on Wednesdays and with the occasional additional chapters on Tuesday or Thursday. And sometimes on Friday or Monday, such as this one.

* * *

_Middle May, 2015_

_On A Bridge Over The Dam_

Ra's stood, almost lazily, with his left hand behind his back and his right hand holding a sword to Oliver's neck **[1]**. As a final test, hoping that perhaps this heir could relent from his foolishness, he lifted his sword up high, in what would normally be an abysmal choice, before swinging it down-

The mere boy grabbed the sword, trying to imitate him, disappointingly predictably, jabbed him in the throat, ineffectively thanks to the League uniform, and yanked the sword away to make a precise incision into the left side of his chest… but Ra's had already stepped back and kicked the sword aside with his boot, disgusted with the shallow level of thought.

Before his once-'heir' could do anything more, he used the power of the Ring, as the duel was not conducted formally, was entirely pointless, and would only waste his time, and teleported behind Oliver before knocking him down to the ground with a powerful punch. "Despicable. You thought you could defeat me by using the minor tactic I used against you during our last battle? How laughable."

He kicked Queen again and again, closer towards the edge, before lifting him up… and slamming him onto the rail, breaking his back. Ra's walked back, grabbing the sword. "Before you, I had an heir who had a problem you have also had, not being willing to do what is necessary. But the Detective was smarter than this foolishness. He and I battled to a stalemate, him not willing to kill me or willing to let me kill him. We managed to separate, so long as we left each other alone, or until either of us became willing to do as the other, and either do what is necessary, or stop insisting on doing so. Your arrogance and my lack of time before the Ring and the Lazarus Pit fail to keep me alive long enough means I shall have to back down, and so you shall pay dearly, with our own life… and the lives of your friends and family."

Before Queen could speak, the Demon's Head quickly made hundreds of small cuts in barely a minute and a half, drawing nearly four liters of blood and many screams of agony. He then picked up Queen once again, and threw the bloody, convulsing, whimpering shell of someone once willing to do what was necessary down into the dam, dying from blood loss.

Upon seeing a red dot moving towards his heart on his chest, he looked up, unfazed, to see someone, that had just received a sniper rifle capable of firing at this distance accurately **[2]**, aiming at his heart... and the Magician right behind them.

* * *

_On Top Of The Dam_

The police officer lined the red dot with the remaining person's heart… and was decapitated with his sword. The other six officers, including Quentin, turned to where he had suddenly popped out of nowhere, drawing their guns… but he slit the throats of the nearest three in a wide swing, rolling to the side, drawing six arrows, and firing three each into the hearts of two more officers.

Quentin refused to shake, instead moving forward slowly, shouting to him and asking what the hell was going on. Oliver had died, meaning he would have to proceed with plan A, the most likely one, as he feared. Malcolm dug his fingernails into the bow and leaped out, swatting the gun aside before knocking the man out. He drew three arrows, firing them in quick succession to end the father of a girl he had used his own daughter to murder.

Merlyn pulled a grappling arrow, using it to swing down, before releasing it and rolling onto the bridge. He stood up, in front of Ra's, before kneeling, shouting, "Ra's!"

Ra's slowly walked forward to him, but Al Sah-her refused to show fear. The Demon's Head began speaking, "Al Sah-her. You've been very busy since the last time we truly talked, which we didn't get to do when I was torturing you, to make you more pliable. This last year, you sent many discreet messages to me. Explain to me why I should believe your claims that you let the Undertaking fail, in order to supposedly train the heir you had arranged for me in the form of your own godson, purposely stranding him on Lian Yu somehow and somehow having the Bratva take him in despite how they distrusted him by meeting with Kovar?"

Malcolm fidgeted, knowing the packet of lies he had created was sketchy, the reason why he had tried so hard to find another way to prevent Ra's from killing him, but now all other efforts had failed. "Yes, you see, I made some deals with Kovar in order to work on the Undertaking, and discovered Oliver was trying to get into the Bratva with the help of a friend of his, Anatoly Knyzaev. I managed to convince Kovar to let him in, and some further manipulations made it possible for him to kill Kovar, all on his own, preventing Kovar from carrying out plans that would be counterproductive to the League's goals. I had originally planned to blow up the Gambit, with a bomb not strong enough to do too much damage, next to Lian Yu, where Robert would be stranded but still alive as he was my friend once, but upon finding that Oliver was dropping out again, and was interested in going on the trip, I saw the opportunity for him to endure a trial by fire, where he could become someone worthy of being your heir. I have always been loyal to the League, such as when I was truthful in telling you he was going to betray you. I placed a person from the Glades who was desperate for money to feed their family, Dave Hackett, as a bodyguard there, who would work to leave Oliver alive by himself by throwing away supplies besides just enough for one person, Oliver. And the Undertaking would have either succeeded, purifying Star City as per the League ways once I then assassinated those on the List, or failed due to Oliver, who would then have proved himself worthy of your training."

Ra's was silent for a minute, and then he chuckled derisively. "Yes, you supposedly foresaw all of this. Your manipulations, lies, and cover-ups are more obvious than you think, _arrogant Magician_. I understood what you were really doing long ago, right after the Undertaking failed and you started work on fleeing me. You were the one manipulated, boy. I used you to remove Sara, who was becoming too reluctant to kill for my use, and to test Nyssa, who passed in leaving behind her arrogance if not her rather volatile and emotional personality, opposed to how you did the reverse. Do you remember when I released you? You were young, but you were just as arrogant then as now. Time has had difficulty in tempering Nyssa, but you have not corrected yourself at all. Deception may be your strong suit, but I have faced against _The Tamer_, Damien Darhk, and beaten him. He is more skilled than you."

Ra's drew his sword, shoving it through Malcolm's spine to kill him instantaneously, before throwing him off the bridge as well and then leaving to the Arrow's lair.

* * *

_Foundry_

Felicity frantically dialed on the phone, trying to get an update from Quentin on Oliver. Ray looked down, realizing that Oliver had probably died. From the dark, the Demon's Head walked out. Ray grabbed an arm with an energy blaster. Ra's nearly instantly regenerated, scaring both Ray and Felicity. He commented dryly, "Ouch."

Ra's threw a lightly bound bloody sack he had been holding on the floor, which unraveled, with the heads of Roy, Thea, Diggle, and Laurel inside. As they stood with their mouths open in horror, Ra's drew his sword and struck down Felicity for corrupting his heir. As Ray opened his mouth to speak, Ra's ordered, "Tell me how to disable the nanites you are using."

Ray started, "Nev-"

For it to be cut off with a scream as Ra's sliced across his arm. The torture had began.

Minutes later, Ray was bloody, and gave up, explaining tiredly how to do it, before being finished with his neck being snapped. The nanites were disabled, and the Outbreak began anew, travelling across Star City and killing those in it.

Ra's walked back, finding his younger daughter, and forced her to return with him to Nanda Parbat

* * *

_Later That Week_

_Talia's Dojo_

Talia entered, only to see bloody corpses strewn about. As she advanced deeper into her own dojo, she saw horrors that only one man was capable of- her father. One last corpse then fell in front of her, that of the man she had started manipulating by having an assassin pose as the Arrow and kill his wife Doris, Simon Morrison.

She looked up to see her father, and speedily kneeled, trying to soften whatever was to come. Ra's spoke, "It's time for you to return to the League, Talia. I have made my choice, and we shall accept the Detective's condition, of not trying to make him kill. He will learn the error in that in due time, and I am more close to death than I would like, especially at such a critical time. This time, your sister, Nyssa, will be the one to recruit him. She may be volatile, but recently I have had some experiences that prove there are worse flaws, such as arrogance, which you demonstrated last time. I could tell that my attempts to convince him were drastically damaged by the fact that you nearly _raped_ my own heir."

She tried to defend herself, "I-"

His voice boomed, "Silence!"

Ra's started walking, saying only one word, "Come."

Talia followed, resigned to returning to her father's organization. The Demon's Head began plotting, so as to find a useful loophole.

* * *

**A/N:**

And that concludes this chapter. This felt cathartic, killing off the weak S3-Oliver, and just letting it all burn. Arrow's ending, it's all getting worse and worse, so let's light it up and make this a party, Mick Rory style. I hope this last one-shot, before I finish moving, is enjoyable.

**[1]** Can I mention how badly the Arrow writers treat Ra's, by having him have his very sharp sword right at Oliver's throat and yet instead of just stabbing forward immediately, he lifts it up like an idiot and swings it back down slowly enough for Oliver to easily catch it?! If Oliver wins, at least have him win by something other than pure stupidity, somehow evading this and using Ra's' own move against him somehow. In Failsafe, I had Ra's let himself be stabbed because he could only be killed by his heir or by someone using a special enchantment, which Oliver did not have, and thus if he lived, Oliver was not the heir and would be killed by him, and if he died, Oliver was the heir and had been trained enough to handle the duties of being Ra's. In an earlier chapter, "No Tricks (Up His Sleeve)", Ra's sacrificed himself because he had already given the title to Oliver and they needed an edge (by destroying the idol) before Darhk's reinforcements arrived (and they would be quicker than League assassins would be).

**[2]** That police officer had such a clean shot. No bystanders. Just two people, both of whom they want to shoot (though the reason why they wanted to was nowhere near well done in the show, something this chapter suffers from as well). In here, the dam is MASSIVE, and so they aren't able to shoot with precision, and needed to get a special sniper rifle capable of firing down to there. It's a crappy explanation, but it actually works.

Also, here's an omake. Some people from real life get burned now, too.

* * *

_September 2019_

_Conference Room_

A man known as Marc Guggenheim was writing in a book, in the room slightly drunk with some people who agreed with what he had done in the past. "Oh, no. That's awful. Oliver actually being acknowledged for doing something right this eighth and final season (1)? Nah, fuck him. _Felicity_ gets all the credit, even if she was the one who caused this whole thing. And she gets to be the hero of Crisis, because we managed to get her back for these last six episodes! This is great, guys!"

Greg Berlanti cheered, "Feminism! Hacking! Stuff! Nerd things! Even though we mess all of those things up horribly as we truly know nothing about it!"

Before anyone else could cheer even more, Deadpool suddenly appeared out of the dust, wielding the Infinity Gauntlet. "Boo! It's me, no, not Green Lantern you CGI buffoons, me, Deadpool! And I have a special _guest_ that wants to have a word with you all about what you did to his character. Have fun!"

Deadpool disappeared, and the people in the room were all slightly sobered as someone else suddenly came out of the shadows… the real Ra's al Ghul. "Ah, Mr. Guggenheim. I've been meaning to have a word with you about- how did the person Shroud, the 'acquaintance' of myself and Deadpool, admires, ArlyssTolero (2), call it? Ah yes, the foolish Ra's al-Love Guru, who made so many errors and was quite _incompetent._ No doubt you have some plea, as to why your portrayal of me failed so easily, such as giving romantic advice to Felicity?"

Guggenheim stated rather boisterously, "It was organic! Felicity is the absolute best character ever and deserves whatever we think she would want, damn what some people say!"

Ra's nodded sarcastically, while frowning slightly. "How… pointless. If that's what you have to say about this… then here's what I shall _do_ about this."

Stalking, _marching_ from one to another, he tore out each of their throats, slowly, before eventually making it to Guggenheim, who slowly backed up into a corner, begging, crying, pleading, "No, no, please, no…"

And he died as well, having his heart ripped out. Satisfied, Ra's disappeared into smoke, back to his own universe.

* * *

(1) Obviously, this is a bit of a parody. I don't think they will actually say or do any of this… I hope.

(2) One of the best authors I know. If you haven't already, see his works, they are utterly amazing.


	7. Who Dares

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own DC Comics. I do not own The CW. I do not own anything related to DC Comics in general, or Arrow specifically. Except maybe a few DVDs of old DC movies that I haven't given away yet.

**Following Through**

**Chapter Seven**

**Who Dares To Do So, Fails**

By The Shroud

**A/N:**

Please review on whatever you can, suggestions, ideas, etc. Felicity dared to demonstrate her insolence to Ra's. She does not win, since Ra's decides upon following through with his reputation of being one of the most dangerous people ever to live. Quick note of something I just realized in horror: Felicity being a Canary in some alternate Earth is not the worst thing they could do in season 8. If they do something really stupid, it will be to have her be an alternate Ra's al Ghul. Sorry to mention such an awful possibility, but it just came to mind.

* * *

_Middle April, 2015_

_Nanda Parbat_

He and Sarab were discussing plans for how best to deal with the newly created 'Eden Corps'... until a woman who had previously assisted Al Sah-him in his vigilantism, named Felicity Smoak, barged in. "I need to talk to you."

They turned to her, each with an equally incredulous look on their face. She stopped perhaps two meters away, close enough to leap and stab her with his sword once he felt it necessary, and, disrespectfully, continued. "What is happening here, is perverse **[1]**. What you are doing to Oliver, what you are making him do. I am **not** going to let it happen **[2]**."

Sarab turned to him, clearly asking for permission to leave. To anyone less perceptive, he would appear stoic, but Ra's al Ghul saw that if he were a weaker man, he would be on the verge of laughing in disbelief **[3]**.

Ra's scoffed lightly at her, and said with an imperceptible smirk, "You may leave us."

Sarab left, eying her carefully, as if expecting her to vanish into dust from sheer shame or self-reflection. To his and Ra's' mutual disappointment, Felicity did not.

Once Sarab left, Ra's spoke carefully, "Al Sah-him said that you have a great _fire_ within you. At the time, I assumed that was a compliment."

He grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the nearest wall. The Demon's Head, with a scowl, continued, "I can only _hope_ that I was wrong, and he did not think this kind of suicidal fire to be admirable. If not, if I am right, as is usually the case… his misconceptions are easily correctable, via some mental healing techniques I devised not long after I became Ra's al Ghul, though you might consider them to be plain brainwashing, which is actually not anywhere near as elegant, precise, or utterly _effective_ as my creation."

She tried and failed to choke out some words, likely no more respectful. Ra's al Ghul finished, "You dared to demonstrate your insolence in front of me. Unlike the saying relating to the British SAS, sometimes the one who dares does _not_, in fact, win **[4]**. As a reminder never to try this again, I shall take away your ability to do that which you pride yourself so much in, since you seem to possess too much pride, which also happens to be the reason you were once useful in assisting Al Sah-him. Confused? Let me not explain, but show you."

Using his other hand, he grabbed her left hand, before using his power to crush it beyond medicine's ability to heal it, and did the same for the other hand. "Before I let you go, there is also the foremost matter of retribution. Since your crime was of speaking disrespectfully, shall you never speak… at all."

Ra's let go of her throat, and she could only begin to scream before he reached into her mouth… and tore off her tongue.

* * *

_Late April, 2015_

_Foundry_

Roy asked him, "Is she going to be okay?"

Diggle shrugged. "Not really. Felicity has decided to take a vacation to Coast City, given how she doesn't feel she has any way to help us now and the extensive injuries she suffered."

Roy paused, before continuing with an insightful question, "And are you?"

Diggle turned from his seat. "What do you mean?"

Roy paced for a bit. "Well, she's always been like a little sister for you. It's difficult for you as well, all of us."

Diggle understood. "I don't know. What I do know… is that some way, somehow, we're gonna get back at Ra's for this."

* * *

_Later That Night_

_Diggle's Home_

Diggle woke up with a start, only to see he had been restrained, there was a set of strange tools and bowls next to his bed, and a man, facing away from him, was sharpening a scalpel.

The man turned around, revealing the face of Ra's al Ghul. "Hello, Mr. Diggle. Are you ready for the surgery? Don't worry, I won't be using anesthetic."

Diggle struggled against the ropes binding him. "What are you doing, you madman?"

The Demon's Head smiled slightly. "I intend to use the very same techniques your dear Felicity has informed you, probably through blinking since she has no tongue or hands, that I am using on Oliver... upon you."

Diggle spoke the first thing to come to mind. Unfortunate, that what he said next had come to his mind. "All this is rather, uh, illegal, isn't it?"

Ra's laughed lightly. "A feeble excuse from a feeble excuse of a vigilante. Vigilantism is also illegal, as you know. Nonetheless, concerns such as mere legality do not matter to me. I'm going to enjoy using you, while you never realize my strings pulling and twisting upon your actions."

The surgery began, and it was successful. Both in its purpose, and in drawing out the screams of someone that fate had, annoyingly enough, put in his path.

* * *

**A/N:**

And that concludes this chapter. If this doesn't finally start the flames I have heard many dreaded things about, probably nothing I intend to write in the future will (unless I start writing something more bold in its bashing of characters), which is good. I have finished the move, though I still have some things to finish up and work with. If all goes well, I should publish, within the next fortnight/two weeks, an alternative sequel to Murdered Magician, titled [Murdered] For Revenge, with the primary sequel, titled [Fallout From The] Magician (II) coming out after that.

**[1]** To think she says this while speaking to the goddamn Demon's Head, who has been thought to be a demon, a saint, a ghost, for a numerous variety of _very_ good reasons. I could let her say a lot more than I end up doing, but then he'd just kill her, and this chapter in this two-part long-shot would be a bit too short for my liking.

**[2]** I must be waiting for her to hack the source code of the Arrow TV Show and turn Ra's al Ghul into Ra's, a Love Guru… which she apparently did, offscreen. Not here.

**[3]** Personally, I _did_ laugh in disbelief.

**[4]** A slightly interesting aspect of this is that, in my mind, Ra's al Ghul was best played by Alexander Siddig, who played Dr. Bashir on Deep Space Nine (yes, a doctor, just as how, in my backstory for Ra's, he was once an extremely intelligent healer), who had a few episodes where he was a spy in some fashion, including one where his journey mimicked to a great deal multiple James Bond movies, and James Bond works for an organization distantly connected to the British SAS. In addition, in said episode, he dared quite a bit, and did not win, but survived… until the Holodeck was deactivated, then in that context he had won. Anyway, not important.


	8. For Revenge

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own DC Comics. I do not own The CW. I do not own anything related to DC Comics in general, or Arrow specifically. Except maybe a few DVDs of old DC movies that I haven't given away yet.

**Following Through**

**Chapter Eight**

**Murdered For Revenge**

By The Shroud

**A/N:**

The eighth long shot in this series. Please review on whatever you can, suggestions, ideas, etc. This chapter is an 'alternate sequel' to the first chapter, and the primary sequel will be released as the next chapter.

Request of Guest: A story about Sara having a twin, who faces struggles, starts fighting crime, and may be a meta.

Response to Review: That's Laurel, more or less, except younger, played by Caity Lotz, and rewritten… and a few years shouldn't really make a huge difference, the actor just changes the tone slightly and the appearance in the mind's eye, and I always rewrite the characters I work with, even if to a minor degree (Oliver having a different experience during those five years, Laurel not becoming a weak character, Ra's and Damien being something truly intimidating, etc.). It would be simpler to just... use Laurel, giving her a new story to match that… which I fully intend to do within a later chapter (minus the meta part) here (maybe multiple) and also a later story or four (with the meta part, particularly in my response to ArlyssTolero's 'Metahuman Revolution' challenge).

My apologies if that segment is distracting. On with the show/story!

* * *

Late April, 2016

Lian Yu

_An inmate saw a guard, and asked, "Could I have a phone call? It's to the person who last visited me, Oliver Queen."_

_The guard walked next to the cell door, "You don't get phone calls in here, Mr. Wilson."_

_Slade steps forward, up against the bars, slowly grasping them. "Then perhaps… you can give him a message for me."_

The guard shook her head. "I wouldn't be a-"

At least seven seconds. Slade Wilson lashed out, grabbing the guard's lapels and slamming her head one, two, three times into the bars. His right hand released its hold, snaking around another bar, picking out the keys, awkwardly but efficiently inserting them into the lock, turning, and then stabbing the key into each of her eyes, still through the bars.

Four seconds. He left his cage, before shoving his fist with the key into the guard's mouth and up, piercing the inside flesh- also twisting- and causing dangerous loss of blood.

Two seconds. Using her as a shield, he took her gun [1] before levelling it at the door.

Time. He waited a moment for them to come- and they did not disappoint. Three more guards came in, each armed with an A.R.G.U.S.-issue rifle [2] and pointing it in Slade's direction. As they immediately started firing in an attempt to hit him before he could hit them, Slade fired three shots, hitting each in the head.

Dropping the pistol and the corpse, he moved forward and picked up a gun with a thermal sight and a grenade launcher attachment [3]. Slade took their vest with ammunition and minimal protection… before hiding behind the door as he heard the approaching sound of running.

Two walked in to be shot in the chest/neck area instantly, and the three behind them fell easily enough.

Slade made his way to the guards' armory, shooting down various guards, before finding two straps with scabbards for swords, taking them and two swords similar to the ones he had used so many years ago on this very island [4]. He had briefly considered using a sword there more similar to that he had used as Deathstroke, but had chosen to go with nostalgia.

Later, he blew open the exit with a grenade, walking out and shooting down the guards posted outside who hadn't already died to the explosion. Slade dropped the rifle, which was running low on ammo, before diving into the water.

Knowing that the A.R.G.U.S. teams were already working to try and contain him, he moved quickly, making a motivation out of the need to succeed, and snuck into the ARGUS supply boat. Slade infiltrated each of the quarters, cutting down some even in their sleep, until arriving at the destination, where he was able to take control of the boat. Having also killed the guards on the shore, he left this wretched, inhospitable island [5] to keep his promise.

* * *

_Early May, 2016_

_Foundry_

Hearing a particular beep, Oliver, alone in the room, got up from his chair to see the monitor on the other side of the platform in the middle that was for the Foundry's security [6]. Squinting at the small spot where the surveillance footage was- when he first saw this, he thought it was a mere mistake, but upon further reflection, it _must _be an example of Amanda Waller's rather sadistic side- he saw Lyla, and walked over to the entrance.

The doors opened, and she walked out with a grim expression, carrying a stack of papers.

Oliver spoke first, "Hello, Lyla. Is everything okay?"

Lyla shook her head. "Slade Wilson broke out yesterday, killing fifty-two guards and stealing a supply boat, the one we successfully used to transport Andy into there."

Oliver stood still, frozen. Eventually, he summoned a whisper from his throat, "What? How did he get past the security? That would have required scoping out the place, figuring out their routine, and taking advantage of it [7]."

She dropped the stack of files on a nearby table. "This chronicles the seventeen escape attempts he's carried out, including this one. The previous sixteen were made while Waller was still alive."

"Why would Waller let it get this far? Wouldn't she just kill him?"

"If anything, they were the only thing that prevented her from choosing him as an extremely useful asset for Task Force X. He got a final warning directly from her after the last one."

"The Suicide Squad. These previous attempts were done while acting weaker than he really is, to scope the place out, and with that last warning, he felt it was time once an opening came. The boat had conveyed Andy there, giving him the opening to leave he probably overheard about. And Slade learned about the place enough in those other attempts in order to do this. Dammit."

Lyla nodded. "And now he's coming after you again."

Oliver suddenly turned to her. "But A.R.G.U.S. was what prevented him from escaping and keeping his _promise_ so many previous times. So he'll be coming after A.R.G.U.S. now as well."

* * *

_Early March, 2016_

_AK Desmond Mansion_

Albert Kingston Desmond [8]. The founder of the eponymous AK Desmond group, a black market organization that created bioweapons, including the despicable Carrier of Death, bioweapons that caused tuberculosis outbreaks, the Blockbuster compound, and the devastating Alpha-Omega virus. The man he had been tracking down for the past month, while taking out all but one of his underlings… Barrett T. H. Kao [9], a Chinese-American, the one who gave him this opening, but one he would still kill for commissioning the Alpha-Omega virus that killed one of his friends when they visited Hong Kong. Even if it had led him down his path to meeting Simon.

And Simon had given him this task, along with killing everyone that knew him besides his mother, who was now under the name Amanda Westfield. Personally, Solomon [10] found the task relaxing up until now, and the next few people he killed to end the task… well, he was going to enjoy their deaths. The evil needed no mercy.

One minute late. Now Barrett was visibly agitated, perhaps suspecting himself to have been caught red-handed by Desmond. If only he knew. Wearing an entirely white jacket over an entirely white suit, with a dark blue tie, white gloves, and a white scarf, Solomon walked out of the shadows, startling Kao, before he let out a groan. "Why'd you have to startle me like that? He's inside now, waiting for your arrival to supposedly offer a deal on behalf of our mutual acquaintance, I'm sure of it. I have your payment of ten thousand ready elsewhere, but here is your downpayment of one thousand. It's a bit low, I'd say, and I'd be happy to pay you more to kill him, but that's what you insisted on, Mr. Morgan."

With a shrug, the person he hated above all casually dropped the suitcase at his feet before reaching out with his left hand for a handshake. Solomon slowly, carefully reached out, grasping the left hand-

Before flicking his wrist, causing a hidden blade, the length from his wrist to the inside of his elbow, to launch out with the sound of a firing mechanism before stopping abruptly with the near end at his wrist and the far end below Barrett's heart and almost touching his suit. Kao was using all his strength and both arms to prevent his one arm from coming any closer… and he flicked his left wrist again, causing a second extension of the sword with a second half of the same length popping out as well, plunging the first one deep into Barrett's chest, before he pulled Kao even closer with his other hand in a mock hug, the tip popping out the other end after wreaking even more damage inside.

His left glove became slick with blood, being right on top of the wound. Solomon whispered angrily into Barrett's ear, one final communication. "This is for killing Rose. She was my friend, an anthropologist in Hong Kong, with a promising career… until the virus you commissioned ended everything that could have been. But don't worry, I'll get to your boss too. The only thing that's changed is that you won't be taking his place."

Morgan flicked his left hand twice more, causing the mechanism hidden under his suit and jacket to reverse, contract, and contract again. The blood from the sword would stain the inside of his suit, as it was made of an extremely absorbent fabric, but the layer halfway in between that was incredibly non-absorbent would prevent it from being visible. Solomon took off both his gloves, stained with blood, throwing them on the corpse, before pulling out and putting on his backup pair.

A few minutes later, inside, guided by guards, he walked into the large room where Desmond was sitting in a chair, with his family in another room.

Albert motioned, and the guards left while Solomon sat in the chair in front of him.

Desmond started with a smile, "It was good to hear from Kao that Simon Morrison, the, if illegitimate, son of our close friend Justin Claybourne, who was murdered so viciously by the Hood, was doing well and wanted to help us here at the AK Desmond group. I trust he's doing well? He was remarkably patient, insightful, and sharp from such a young age, I recall. My own son, Julian, was similarly intelligent, but sadly he has gone astray, now working at the Central City Police Department, even legally changing his name to replace my last name with his middle name… which is still my first name."

Solomon faked a smile to the grotesque (in terms of the soul) human being in front of him. "Yes, Simon is. In fact..."

He motioned as though to whisper, and Desmond leaned forward. He put his left hand in front of Desmond's left shoulder, and flicked his wrist, the blade diving into his final target's lower neck.

With his right hand, he muffled any cry by forcing Desmond's head onto his shoulder. Solomon whispered again, "Simon is doing very well. He plans to gain control of an ancient League within the next ten years. One of his first steps is to destroy his past, which you are a part of. Besides, he would have had you killed anyway, for your little AK Desmond group. Don't worry, I won't kill your family. At worst, they'll be-"

He cut himself off as he realized Desmond was already dead. He set Desmond back down in his chair, taking off his jacket and putting it on top of Desmond's upper chest, covering the wound. As expected, Desmond's corpse was later found by his family, though, unexpectedly, they cried over him, because Morgan could not quite conceive why a person would have a problem with the evil receiving his treatment of having no mercy.

Solomon flicked his left wrist three times, making the mechanism extend, reverse, contract, contract again, before he took out his cell phone, dialing Simon while flicking his right wrist twice to fully, doubly extend the sword there.

As he mercilessly took down all guards in his path, Solomon left a message, "Hello Simon. I've completed the tasks you wanted me to. A serendipity, you say? Mere months now? Understood."

* * *

_Early April, 2016_

_Nanda Parbat_

"It's a shame, isn't it, Ducard?"

Having been looking down from a mountain at where the League had once thrived, now mostly deserted except for some remnants, Henri Ducard [11] looked up abruptly, only to see David Cain [12] and Lady Shiva [13]. He spoke scornfully, "Oh, it's you, Cain. And since when were you, Lady Shiva, willing to even look at him, after that incident? After your daughter _died_, because he had to save his own skin in front of Ra's."

Cain flinched, and Lady Shiva explained, "We just wanted to see it for ourselves, and happened to run into each other."

Cain responded, "'Run into' appears to mean 'nearly kill' nowadays. Everyone's heard the news about the League's dissolution just recently, it seems. In its own special way, it's a tragedy, and disasters always attract attention. Maggots trying to find leftovers, fossils who miss it, and those who just want to be sure because it seemed like it would never happen."

Henri scoffed, "Well, the first suits you well enough."

Cain replied, "About as well as the second suits you."

Lady Shiva just shook her head. She had already admitted to being the third. Looking down, Cain had a point- there were a variety of people she recognized as having such agendas. Bane, Richard Dragon, many of the Assassins branch as well as the Shadows branch or other parts of the Demon.

Behind them, Solomon reached under his suit on his arms to loosen some springs and tighten some screws so that the blade extension system would be silent… if a bit slower.

He spoke up, "Hello. My name is Solomon Morgan, but I am known as Sovereign for how I carry out my assignments without conditions, restrictions, or barriers beyond those I choose myself."

All three turned to him, and Lady Shiva asked, "Why are you here?"

Solomon responded evenly, slightly disturbed by all three looking directly at him. "The person I work for intends to breathe life into the League, to give it a new fire. He calls himself Prometheus. And he is searching for those who are willing to accept his offer to rebuild it."

He paused dramatically, putting both hands behind his back but then flicking his right blade twice, causing the full sword to slowly slide down, hidden from view by his left leg. Solomon resumed speaking, "Are you such individuals?"

* * *

_Middle May, 2016_

_Foundry_

Felicity spoke, "Got it! No more trying to comb through satellite surveillance. He did disable the A.R.G.U.S. tracker, as Lyla found, but he had to use the A.R.G.U.S. GPS, which means I was able to trace where he has been… kinda."

Oliver walked over, "Where?"

She explained, "Well, you see, he downloaded the necessary coordinates to know where he was, and then, the next day, figured out we might be able to trace him and deactivated it."

"But we should still be able to find out where he was going, right?"

"I mean, sure, but there's every possibility that he changed course afterwards. The destination was… Australia."

"Slade's probably going there to get supplies from an ASIS base. It would be a place he knows how to infiltrate. Even if he did change course, we can see if the people in ASIS will tell us anything we don't already know about him. I'll get a plane."

* * *

_Late May_

_ASIS Base_

Slade slowly circled the base, searching for the best opportunity to infiltrate it.

Nearby, a man [14] who worked for ASIS was walking out with a bag that had his mask and weaponry, intending to carry out a mission, when he saw Slade, recognizing him as someone he had recruited and trained. Unzipping the bag, Ethan took out the mask, intending to subdue and interrogate his old friend.

Slade continued his route, finally deciding upon the entr-

Someone wearing a hood and a mask [15] jumped at him, knocking him to the ground. He quickly rolled over, grabbing both his swords and swinging them down at where the attacker was, but they rolled over and pulled out a pistol from their hip and a knife from a sheath on their chest.

Using the knife, they blocked the sword in his right hand, and they used the pistol to block the one in his left hand, before firing the other blade out of his right hand.

They launched up, twisting away his other sword as well as their pistol, before slicing repeatedly at him with the knife. Slade managed to catch it, but it only earned him an elbow jab to his chin followed by an incapacitating kick to the stomach, sending him down again.

After placing the knife to his throat, his assailant removed their hood, and then his mask, revealing the one who had recruited and trained him, Ethan Lee, codename Breakpoint for his unnerving ability to precisely infiltrate and obliterate places, completely break any prisoner, subjugate defiant officers, and play any one, whether friend, foe, trainee, superior, or stranger, like they were little more than a pawn in a chess game.

"What now, Ethan? Are you going to kill me?"

Ethan shook his head. "Why are you here, Slade?"

Slade sighed, and answered, "I planned to gather some supplies for my revenge, the one you, no doubt with your connections, have heard of."

Something clicked. "Upon the Green Arrow?"

"Is that what he's calling himself now? Yes. Him."

Ethan rose, resheathing the knife. "Then I think we have a common goal. He murdered my father, not two months ago."

Being helped by Ethan, Slade also got up. "Is that so? Then it's good to be working with you again."

Ethan interjected. "One thing you should know, Slade. My full name isn't Ethan Lee."

"Oh, I don't mi-"

"No, no, you deserve to know. It's Ethan Lee Darhk. And my connections extend a little farther than just some friends of friends. I now possess control over the remnants of an impressive organization, and I can use it to help both of us get our revenge on the Green Arrow."

"Then it's good to work with you again… Mr. Darhk."

They shook hands.

* * *

_Early June_

_Australia_

After weeks of searching, Oliver finally found a lead on Slade, and had followed it to this apartment, room 206. A.R.G.U.S. had received authorization and was now coming in as backup, arriving in two minutes. Wearing the Green Arrow suit at night, he ran up the staircase before rolling in through the window. Oliver nocked an arrow immediately as he saw Slade sitting in his chair, in the same clothes as when he killed his mother, waiting. "Good to see you again, Mr. Queen. At least, for myself and my friend. Last time we talked, you bragged about _not needing to kill_ as a _hero_. Your reckoning for your actions has come. Allow me to introduce Breakpoint, the two century year old son of Damien Darhk, who you killed so viciously."

Behind him, someone wearing something heavy dropped down and attempted to use a garrote on him, but he grasped it with the gloves and managed to throw them onto the floor. Now able to see them, he saw they wore a military outfit with a cape, a hood, a skull-like mask, a rifle, a pistol, and a knife. They removed the pistol from their hip and started shooting. He hid for cover behind the second bed in the room, closest to the window he had entered from, and counted.

From what he counted and saw the model to be, it should be out, yet Breakpoint should be starting to reload or stepping forward with the knife. Yet they were standing there, not doing anything in the reflection of a shard of glass from the window.

Deciding now was no time for caution, he nocked three arrows and fired them in quick succession- but received two bullets in the right side of his chest. It must be a custom model with extra bullets.

Thankfully, though Breakpoint caught the first two in his left hand, he did not catch the one that went in his chest, if only partially due to the military outfit. Slade got up and took out a long katana, beginning to swing it down at his neck-

Which he barely stopped with his bow. From the sheer amount of blood, a few arteries must have been pierced. Oliver tried to kick Slade's knee, but Slade simply stepped back. Three A.R.G.U.S. agents charged into the room, and both Slade and the mysterious Breakpoint escaped through the window, and much to his chagrin, the agents went to help him rather than catch Slade.

"No. No. No! Catch Slade! Catch him… get him..."

"Sir, you need our help."

Choking blood, those were the last words he heard before he blacked out.

* * *

_Late June_

_Nanda Parbat_

Having taken control of this building, he used it similarly to the previous Ra's', the ones who had truly accepted it. Simon Morrison, who would soon use the name Adrian Chase, waited as his friend, Solomon Morgan, who just happened to have a similar name (not out of any narcissism), walked forward. "My liege, it is done. All the Shadows of note have returned to the League, except for those I had to kill, such as Henri Ducard and Bane, and for Lady Shiva, who wishes to remain independent and I would not be able to kill her."

Simon nodded. "Then it's time to proceed to the next stage. We have gained our power, we have secured it. Now we use it, and I intend to repay a favor to the man who inspired me. None of this could have happened if he hadn't lit the match that I am, which has then ignited all of us here to join together. When I'm done with him, he will have accepted his rightful place as Ra's al Ghul, the League shall be reborn to greater heights, and I will have returned the favor completely."

* * *

_Early July_

_ASIS Hospital_

Slowly, blinking, Oliver woke up. He had been in the hospital for a few weeks now, and expected to be healthy in a few more weeks, having regained consciousness a few days after nearly dying.

That he expected. What he did not expect was to see his old teacher here. "Hi, Talia. What brings you here? I doubt it's just concern for my well-being."

"No, it isn't. I have recently recovered from an ordeal of my own. But I am glad to see your cover stories have improved from earlier in your career of vigilantism. Almost the truth, but not quite. Slade Wilson having escaped and having tried to assassinate you. Slade Wilson is not the only thing you or I will have to deal with, worryingly enough."

"What do you mean?"

"One of my acolytes, named Simon Morrison, carried out a coup d'etat, convincing various other acolytes to join him, slaughtering those still loyal to me, and nearly succeeding in killing me, though I escaped. The reason why you should know is that he may have a grudge against you. I recently learned that he was the illegitimate son of Justin Claybourne, one of the people on your List, someone you killed. Do not underestimate him as I did."

* * *

_Middle July_

_H.I.V.E. Base_

"Welcome to H.I.V.E., Slade. The equipment you requested is ready."

Slade followed Ethan through the complex maze of hexagonal platforms that moved up and down depending on the controls. "I've given you a clearance just one step below mine, so you're now one of the heads. And here we are."

A hexagonal platform dropped down in front of them just as their own platform floated down slightly… if that wasn't just a trick of inertia resulting from being in cell, as in section, 2-7IJ, each of the three layers of which also moved, confusingly enough. Ethan spoke, "Don't worry, this system actually compartmentalizes things in a remarkably efficient and easy to remember manner… once you get the hang of it. Took me until I was one hundred ninety five, having started at one hundred seventy one. It can take mere hours… to a whole lifetime. H.I.V.E. has a variety of technologies far more advanced than anything on the outside. We almost got cold fusion, too, but… well, that's an amusing anecdote for another time."

Stepping onto the platform, Slade first saw a hi-tech suit with a scabbard on the back with a sword with an edge similar to his ones on Lian Yu but more elongated and a handle similar to his sword as Deathstroke, a holster with a pistol, and specialized grenades on the belt [16]. "The three bright silver and vivid blue ones are flashbangs with a time-released smoke as well, which is thick enough to make it hard to breathe, and the other three dull grey and vivid red ones are pure explosives that you probably want to stay at least seven meters away from."

Inspecting the suit, Slade declared, "I like it."

* * *

_Late July_

_Star City_

Finally. Slowly, Oliver stepped down off the plane, smiling and looking at where his friends and family were.

Out of nowhere, three motorcyclists sped in, before rolling off, pointing their UZIs forward, and shouting, "Don't move, or you and your friends are gonna die."

As a SWAT van pulled up, Oliver had no good choice other than to go in, as there was no cover from the gunfire available.

Later, Oliver had a bag on his head, and heard a man say, "Don't worry, this isn't personal, even if it seems like it to y'all."

That meant there were multiple hostages. He heard footsteps from the man's direction. "I've finally figured out a way to make politicians useful."

The mayor, Oliver Queen, figured it out, and asked, "You want the Green Arrow?"

Tobias Church smiled. "Yeah."

* * *

_Same Week_

_Coast City_

Independently of Ethan, he had come here because he had been contacted by someone who only gave the n-

"Hello, Slade Wilson. Prometheus, at your service."

Yes, that name. Prometheus. A titan who stole fire from the gods to give it to the humans. "You said you have an offer for me?"

The young man sitting next to him at the bar answered, "Yes. I found you have begun working for H.I.V.E. No doubt you've been told of the League of Shadows."

"A fearsome group of assassins. I had already heard whispers of them, but I had not known yet that they were real. They were recently disbanded-"

"And then _recreated_. By none other than myself."

"What does that have to do with your offer?"

"Oliver Queen. The Hood. The Arrow. Nowadays, the Green Arrow."

"How do you know his name? How do you-"

S- _Adrian_ now, lied, "How I know it, is irrelevant [17]. You have a vendetta against him. So do I. He killed my father, and I will have my vengeance. I have a very long memory, especially when it comes to grudges. I want to join forces with you."

"And if I don't accept?"

"We walk away from this, right now, no foul. What's it gonna be, Deathstroke?"

* * *

**A/N:**

And that concludes this chapter. I hope the OCs were well-developed and fascinating. I loved writing it, and I plan to give it a sequel of its own. Maybe an alternative one, as well, but I'm not sure about that. One thing's certain: Oliver's gonna have a bad time.

[1] A 7.65mm Walther PPK, I'd say. Which is one of James Bond's weapons, so there's another chapter with a mention of him in the footnotes.

[2] I don't know or intend to know guns. From what I've searched up, a Beretta ARX160 looks most like and has the most similarities to what I imagined in my head to be their weapons, if that's a good reference.

[3] Specifically, something along the lines of a GLX 160.

[4] Without question, the most epic and unique weapons on the show, or at least in my opinion. Season 1 bow comes close, as does Deathstroke's other sword (that he used as Deathstroke), Ra's' sword (with intricate dragons, a nice handle and blade- oh, and the 'dragons' look like they could be used to interlock with another sword, which is a handy feature we never really got to see), and Prometheus' chokuto (the shurikens too). Guillermo Barrera's launched knives under the sleeve looked interesting as well, especially for a Season 1 throwaway villain. Though I suppose the writers like Felicity's flying tablet best.

[5] Part of the name of a season 1 soundtrack which had his theme. The other part? Deathstroke.

[6] Seems to me like a very simple alarm system that definitely might come in handy to know if some random person somehow got in (whether maliciously, accidentally, by a glitch, or whatever), an enemy, or which friend came into the elevator.

[7] Is it obvious I finally got around to watching- and finishing- Punisher?

[8] Played by Jason Isaacs, with the same hair style and so as in Captain Marvel. It might be clear why him.

[9] Name is from BTHK Biotech. Played by Jet Li.

[10] Played by Gerard Butler (same haircut as in Angel Has Fallen, and contacts to give the appearance of having heterochromia iridis of two blue eyes with a segment of vivid green in the top right of the right eye), a complete OC.

[11] Played by Liam Neeson, even if he is not Ra's al Ghul.

[12] Played by Matt Damon. He seems like he'd fit the role.

[13] Played by Maggie Q. She's a good actress, looks similar to the comics Lady Shiva, and has done action well, for example, in M:III.

[14] Played by Jason Clarke. He impressed me in Terminator Genisys despite the movie's flaws.

[15] The code name and the suit of this OC come from Ghost Recon: Breakpoint; namely, the code name of Breakpoint and the suit is that of Cole Walker as a Wolf.

[16] The suit from Arkham Origins, but with the scabbard adjusted to fit a cross in between Deathstroke's first swords and his later sword and the normal grenades on the belt replaced by three of the first specialized kind I mention and three of the second specialized kind that I mention.

[17] Usually, this is an excuse to not explain it at all, but he was actually told of it by his teacher, Talia al Ghul.


	9. Author Note on Reviews

**Only Some Author's Notes, I'm Afraid**

By The Shroud

* * *

This story hasn't been getting any reviews for the last 4 chapters, aside from one Guest who reviewed all of them. So maybe this format isn't one that works for my story format.

I will thus instead tease many of the future chapters (within prior works and this one) and projects I intend to work on using a trailer-like format, including for my original stories. Depending on the reviews (extremely positive ones being counted as 2 points, more mildly positive reviews being counted as 1 point, neutral reviews being counted as no points, mildly negative reviews being counted as -1 points, and overly negative reviews/flames being ignored in regards to the point system), I will then prioritize which projects to work on, continuing the weekly format I've been using.

Some things I won't be able to make a 'trailer' for yet, because they're so deeply in development. However, later on, I may be able to make ones for such series, which include:

-The Follows universe. An AU version of the Arrowverse, including more realistic effects of Central City being so close to Star City.

-The Protector-verse (A collection of series based on the Marvel Netflix shows, set in the Arrowverse but with Barry, Oliver, and Kara removed to see what can be done with the other characters behind them)

-The _Within_ multiverse (based on the Arrowverse), each of the series for it. I'm willing to post them 'out-of-order', then setting up prequels, and this applies to all of the series here.

-My Star Wars Rewrite (In between inconsistency, missed opportunities, retcons, and flops of the new trilogy, this will take a while)

-The Justice Chronicles (Which includes a five-part series of five-part 'seasons' (each lasting three years) focusing on an AU version of Slade's origin, Slade's three years on (and then off) Lian Yu, Oliver's first three years in Star City, the project already partially began known as 'Prometheus Unleashed'/'What?'/'Decision', and the creation of the Justice League.)

-The Failsafe rewrite.

-Darkness. A huge series I am excited for.

-The Bat. An AU rewrite of the Dark Knight Trilogy.

-Deception. Another AU rewrite of the Arrowverse.

-Descensus in Tenebras (previously Evil). A story about Harry Potter **realistically** gradually evolving into a Dark Lord... with some particular details.

-and more.

Therefore, I am putting this plan into effect. For all of you, each and every one of you,** I hope to see you again soon in the future, and wish you the best in life.**


	10. Teaser for the Future

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own DC Comics. I do not own The CW. I do not own anything related to DC Comics in general, or Arrow specifically. Except maybe a few DVDs of old DC movies that I haven't given away yet.

**Following Through**

**Teaser Of New, Upcoming,**

**Future Chapters**

By The Shroud

**A/N:**

As a follow-up to the last AN, this chapter teases some of the future chapters I'm working on.

* * *

_Fallout From The Magician / {Magician (II)}_

Oliver unlocked the door, and Slade stepped out, before noting, "You and me, kid. Being able to work together again. Like old times."

* * *

Nyssa raised her blade quickly, barely stopping Athena's strike as she kicked back a Guild member behind her,

* * *

Cayden James slowly circled him. "I had heard you had been released. I see working for ARGUS was part of the deal. Pity, I was hoping not to have such an antagonistic first meeting with Deathstroke."

* * *

As Diaz walked out, he looked down at his left hand, where the ring resided. The plan was coming to fruition.

* * *

Slade sung his sword down, it barely being met by Kodiak's shield as Slade then instantly bent backwards to avoid a dart.

* * *

Dante stood there, swiftly analyzing their positions and deciding what to do.

Oliver stepped forwar-

* * *

In various abandoned HIVE warehouses, the lights came on, revealing a fleet of specialized military drones spread throughout the country.

* * *

The coffin sat in the middle of the room, and Athena slowly opened it, revealing the corpse of Malcolm Merlyn.

* * *

**The climactic sequel shall be the next chapter.**

* * *

_Fundamentally Changed From The Flawed Remnants of Yesterday / {Flawed (II)}_

* * *

Oliver pleaded, "Don't do this."

Diggle raised his gun. "You're a loose cannon, Oliver. We can't let you just kill anyone only because they're a part of the problem. Death only leads to more death."

Oliver sighed, and drew an arrow. "Is that what you all think?"

Diggle pulled the trigger.

* * *

Lyla told him, "The Ninth Circle. Run by a man called 'Dante'."

* * *

As a group of people in robes created a formation behind him, Dante flicked his arms out, causing the butterfly knives in each of his hands to open up, and warned, "Don't miss."

* * *

**A guardian of justice approaches a confrontation with those he once knew, but must also defeat a threat greater than the one that led him here...**

* * *

_No Tricks There, But More Tricks From Another's Sleeve / {No Tricks (II)}_

* * *

Oliver spoke, "I need your help."

* * *

Prometheus suddenly threw the shuriken before she could run, and watched disinterestedly as she crumpled to the floor, bleeding out from her neck.

* * *

Dante barely parried away both of Darhk's blades before ducking under an arrow.

* * *

Behind him, Oliver rose his sword, starting to bring it down on Darhk.

* * *

**Soon, the sequel shall complete the League's circle in full, all last dregs disintegrating to let the past give way to the League's new leader.**

* * *

_Arrow's Wrath / {Wrath (II)}_

* * *

"Diaz!"

Diaz slowly turned around, and nodded, impressed at the sheer scale of death that the Green Arrow had exacted upon those working for him. "I guess this will have to be it then. The end of this war between us."

He tapped his ear, and whispered, "Dante, call _Ono_ off. I will rise or fall on my own, as I've always preferred."

Dante replied, "Very well. I expect your fate to come swiftly, then."

Oliver drew an arrow, almost trembling in wrath. "Ricardo Diaz... you have made this city fall. Now you shall fall yourself."

He let go of the bowstring.

* * *

**The Dragon has inflicted his wrath... but now the Green Arrow shall return, in full.**

* * *

_Memories of Hell / {Hell (II)}_

* * *

Almost everyone he cared about. Gone. Just gone.

* * *

Joe, Slade's son, slowly approached him, drawing out his sword. Oliver struggled against the restraints of his chair, remembering a similar situation about a decade previously, with Slade in Joe's place.

* * *

Roy walked forward with a smile, having returned, but all Oliver could think about, even while plastering on a fake smile, was Thea and everyone he had lost on the island.

* * *

Athena yelled, "You are the chosen heir! You will accept the title of Ra's al Ghul!"

* * *

Vigilante shot at him, forcing him to roll to the side.

* * *

Samandra Watson argued, "This city is infested with vigilantes hiding in the darkness that it doesn't need. It needs people who stands in the light of day. That's not you, Green Arrow. I intend to take you down for every illegal thing you've ever done."

He froze, remembering something similar Quentin said, about three years before... before _Chase_.

* * *

Dante continued whistling as he sharpened his knives.

* * *

**Tortured by his memories of hell, Oliver Queen must struggle to save his city from a new threat.**

* * *

_Who Dares Wins / {Who Dares (II)}_

* * *

Slowly, unwittingly, Al Sah-him's once brother-in-arms proved to be the most effective way to break up the legacy of his past, enabling him to make a new legacy.

* * *

Ra's commanded, "Now, Al Sah-him... strike him down, as your final test."

* * *

**Oliver and Diggle must both find their way back to being themselves, but their adversary is reaching the end of his journey, and has a mad plan.**

* * *

_List of Names Without Faces / {Names}_

* * *

**In a world where Oliver continues using the List, how much pain does it prevent? But it drives his former friend, Slade Wilson, to desperate measures, catching the attention of H.I.V.E. and the Ninth Circle far earlier than originally...**

* * *

**A/N:**

And that concludes this teaser.


End file.
